Ranger requirement?

January 10th, 2011, 01:48 PM

All,
Considering OCS, and as a current infantry NCO, I understand the significance of IN branch officers having the coveted Ranger tab. My question for any current non-tabbed Infantry officer is, has not having the tab been a career killer? I know very few officers in my current battalion have a tab, but from talking with several of my PL's they mentioned how important being tabbed is in the Infantry world. Not saying I wouldn't be able to complete the school, however, I don't want to branch Infantry if there's the possibility of my officer career stopping dead in it's tracks without a tab.

Not trying to sound negative or have a bad attitude; there are several PL's from my company and the battalion that have attempted Ranger and have been unsuccessful, and all are visibly unsettled about not having a tab.

I think it's a big deal on active duty... but not as much in the Guard. Since you are not a year round soldier always training and preparing, the guard is always a big different. I don't see very many Ranger tabs here in NJ from the infantry guys. It's a hard, physically demanding course and even half of the active people who go don't make it right away. It's also harder for guard because you may not always get multiple chances like active does. So I personally dont think it's going to stop your career. It doesn't stop it when your active either, just closes some doors for special positions that are extremely hard to get anyway. But IMOP, GO and TRY. The worst that can happen is you don't make it. You will still have the experience and possibly the chance to go again. Train hard, if you want to have the tab, will it to happen!

I think it's a big deal on active duty... but not as much in the Guard. Since you are not a year round soldier always training and preparing, the guard is always a big different. I don't see very many Ranger tabs here in NJ from the infantry guys. It's a hard, physically demanding course and even half of the active people who go don't make it right away. It's also harder for guard because you may not always get multiple chances like active does. So I personally dont think it's going to stop your career. It doesn't stop it when your active either, just closes some doors for special positions that are extremely hard to get anyway. But IMOP, GO and TRY. The worst that can happen is you don't make it. You will still have the experience and possibly the chance to go again. Train hard, if you want to have the tab, will it to happen!

Just out of curiosity what special positions are you referring too?

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Thanks for the input. I've talked to a few PL's and our company XO, and they pretty much echoed what you said. Although the battalion obviously WANTS their officers to be Ranger qualified, it's not an absolute deal breaker. They've sent a few PL's more than once, and I think the fact that they've been unsuccessful is slowly changing the tide, as I know Ranger school is a costly investment for the state.
As I mentioned, I'll gladly go given the opportunity, and give it everything I have and then some.

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Ranger School is a leadership school. It's the best leadership school around. It will not be a career stopper for a guard officer. However, as an officer and leader, you should stop at nothing to earn the tab. An officer in my unit won't be around long without it. I'm sure that's the same for other LRS units.

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What rank would you have to be for your state to consider sending you to Ranger school? I'd like to go to Ranger school but would I have to wait until I get a degree and a commission for my state to send me?

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What rank would you have to be for your state to consider sending you to Ranger school? I'd like to go to Ranger school but would I have to wait until I get a degree and a commission for my state to send me?

Typically, NCO's and Officers in combat arms units in a leadership position. In the end it all comes down to funding. Your state either has the money to send thier combat arms NCO's and Officers or it doesn't. Think about how many soldiers your unit has sent to Ranger School and that will give you a big clue.

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I know very, very few officers in my infantry battalion (okay, cavalry squadron) with a tab. None of the PL's in my company/troop. Not my CO, or SCO, or regimental CO.

Come to think of it, in the whole frickin' squadron I only know one - and I don't think he's even basic branched infantry.

I personally BEGGED to go, because I ain't getting younger. And now it may be too late for me, for civilian professional reasons. Nobody seems to care in my unit, or even really encourage you to go. ****, my state is so **** broke right now that I can't get schools that are almost mandatory for my slot. (Meanwhile, OTHER people in the chain of command somehow get hooah schools that have zero to do with their job ... I even asked the training NCO about it and he came right and - politely - suggested I learn some, um, well, unmentionable skills more likely to get me schools, since ambition and desire aren't working much.)

Maybe other states or units are different. In mine, the combat patch - and the fact that you've deployed at least once with the regiment/squadron - seems to matter a whole lot more than a school. Which is probably how it should be, now that I think about it.

But still. I gave up a couple hooah schools to come to the unit and deploy, with explicit promises that "you can go to any school you want when we get back!"

Uh, yeah. Not so much. How about zero schools? ****, my state isn't even sending captains to the career course. At all.

In IBOLC, "Ranger" was all they talked about. Out here in the real world, folks don't seem to care. I actually asked the senior PL in my command when he's going to RS, and he said: "As soon as they make it a correspondence course."

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The importance of Ranger School depends not just on the state but the unit (battalion/brigade). The Infantry in Kansas never placed any emphasis on being Ranger qualified but sent many to the school. However, the state eventually began rejecting all applications (and rightly so) since the Kansas Infantry had a less than acceptable rate of graduation. There are units like the 1-143rd IN (ABN) in Texas and the 53rd IBCT in Florida that make Ranger training a priority for their leaders. If you really want it, you may want to consider those units.

And for the many Infantry officers that failed Ranger school in Kansas, it had absolutely no bearing on their career. It was like it never happened. At worst they bear a lifetime of regret.

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If you are active duty you definitly need it and it will be a career killer. If you are in the national guard esspecially the CAV and you DO have it it will be a career killer. I am an 11A and have a tab and they cross leveled me and have put me in the chemo slot. I am also the saftey officer, and UMO or the give him the BS tasks no one else wants guy. I also scored 290 on my last PT test and my last 3 OER's from other units have checked the "among the best" box. GO FIGURE.